Roland Martin On Black Press: We Will Take A Stand & Remain Unapologetically Black

When you look at the programming on NewsOne Now, you will find Roland Martin and the only cable news show that focuses on issues impacting the Black community. Operating in the tradition of Frederick Douglass, who published The North Star newspaper, Ida B. Wells, a leading voice against lynching in America, William Trotter, newspaper editor and real estate businessman, Robert S. Abbott and John H Sengstacke, founders of The Chicago Defender, NewsOne Now champions those who take a stand for our community.

“The Black press has always made it perfectly clear that they are unapologetically Black and are willing to take a stand and are willing to speak to our issues,” Martin said on Wednesday’s NewsOne Now.

“Somebody has to make it perfectly clear that we are front and center, that we are not a side-story. We are not a niche-story, we are the prominent story and we are the priority. That is what we do — Radio One and TV One.”

He continued:

“Radio One was founded by Cathy Hughes and she used her voice on the airways speaking to issues where she said ‘Where information is power,’ and so we’re going to continue to cover stories that mainstream media will ignore. Why? Because we know that you matter. We know that Black women matter, we know that Black men matter, we know that Black kids matter, and so we will always do that regardless of what the issue is and regardless of whether or not people will criticize us for doing so.”

“We will always be unapologetically Black.”

Watch Martin’s perspective on the role of the Black press taking a stand and bringing to light the issues, as well as stories that mainstream America would like to sweep under the rug, in the video clip above.